The Younger Generation
by sweet-baby-lemon
Summary: So, we have the old CSI's. But what would it be like if they were young? Let's see what happens when 5 seveneight year olds live together and solve mysterious (also known as pg crimes) It's better than it sounds. :)
1. Chapter 1

So, I wondered how it would work out if the CSI team suddenly lost a couple of years, or well, actually decades of years. All of them are 7-8 years old to keep the magical essence of the story. We don't want a 7 year old Sara and a 20 year old Grissom and Cath. And also, all of their names have been kept the same for clarification purposes. Please review and tell me what you think!!! I hope you enjoy the story.

P.S. I do not own any characters of the CSI or anything else for that matter. I receive no profit from writing this story or any other stories. I do it just for fun.

As the sun shone through an open window, a bird began to sing somewhere nearby   
  
"Can't anybody shut Sara up?" A child's irritated voice could be heard.  
  
"Hey!!" And an angry tone answered him.  
  
"What? _You're_ the one that likes to sing." A tree house, situated on the biggest oak of the forest, was beginning to awake. Holding five occupants, it's interior was quite crowded. The bird, which sat upon the roof, quickly fluttered away as angry voices wafted through the air.   
  
"Well, it wasn't _me_!" A slender girl of seven years, stood up from her cot, which lay against one of the walls, stretching her long limbs.   
  
"Who was it then? Nick?" On the opposite side of the little tree house, a groggy African American child got up. He stood there, by his own cot, looking steadily at the small Sara, though he was no older or younger than her. Slowly, all the other recipients of the house awoke.   
  
"Aww, come on guys! Arguing already? It's the morning!" A Texan drawl filtered through the air.   
  
"No, it's the afternoon, dummy! Haha." Sara teased Nick, who was propped by an elbow on his cot.  
  
"Oh really?" He plopped back down onto his back, "Well, then, kindly shut up and let me sleep!" Now, even Warrick joined in.   
  
"You really are a dummy." He pointed an accusatory finger at Nick. The other angrily shoved himself back up into a sitting position.  
  
"Hey! Well, at least I..I" The child searched for the right insult, "don't snore like you do!"   
  
"Well, at least _I_ know morning from afternoon! Haha." Warrick joined Sara in her laughter while Nick, grumbling, pushed his feet over the side of his bed and warily stood up.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey! Guys, keep it down. SOME of us are trying to get our beauty sleeps!" The remaining people who were still not up where Grissom and Catherine. As soon as Catherine's drawling, sleepy filled voice touched Grissom's ear he shot up and out of his bed.   
  
"Speak for yourself Cath!" The eight year old replica of Grissom stood stoutly by Sara's side.   
  
"I was, you nincompoop. No amount of sleep will ever help you." She retorted, stretching in her own bed.   
  
"Well, you said SOME, and I don't see anyone else still sleeping do you?" Catherine turned to him in the middle of a yawn. Putting up a hand to cover her pink lips, she slowly turned her head, canvassing the tree house.   
  
"Well, so what? I stayed up late last night painting my nails." She fluttered her fingers in the air, showing off the sparkle covered nails. "What's YOUR excuse for sleeping in so late?" Grissom fiddled with his hands as his face turned bright pink. "Well?" Catherine prompted.  
  
"I, well, I. Well, it's not MY faut I'm afraid of the dark!" Three people burst out in boisterous laughter. Only Sara and Grissom remained quiet.   
  
"It's ok, Griss. I'm afraid too." She whispered into his ear before leaving his side and stepping into the middle of the room. Missing Catherine's cot by a few inches, she stood hands on her hips. As young Catherine had to talk to everyone for a little bit before going to sleep, or sometimes during their naps, her bed was situated in the middle. So, with ease, she could turn to any one of her four friends whose cots were very nicely situated to her north, south, west, and east sides.  
  
Sara stood there, holding her ground, while Catherine slid off the bed with hysterical laughter.   
  
"You guys!" She wagged her finger at each of them in turn. "That's really not nice of you. Nicky, did Grissom laugh when you cried over you lost cowboy hat? No. Warrick, didn't Griss comfort you when you sat on your cool black shades and broke the poor thing in half? And Cath, she turned at her girl friend. Did Grissom so much as peep a sarcastic remark at you when you foolishly threw your lip gloss out of the tree house thinking that it was another stink bomb planted by those two goons?" She nodded her head at Warrick and Nick. "Well, what do you all have to say for yourself?" Mumbled 'sorry's' rippled through the room before Sara finally returned her clenched fists to her sides. "Well, then, let's eat! I'm starving!"

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone started making up their own beds and changing in their designated corners. Everyone except Cath, that is, who had to keep her head low to the floor so as not to see anything unpleasant. Finally, when everyone was ready, the matter of food had to be decided.  
  
"What should we eat today?" Asked Warrick, massaging his rumbling stomach.  
  
"How about some berries?" Suggested Sara.  
  
"Or, mushrooms."  
  
"Maybe some nuts." Grissom and Catherine both piped in. They all pondered the though, what would they like to eat? Which choice could they get the fastest, eat the quickest, and get rid of most efficiently? Simultaneously, they all chorused. "Berries!" And burst into a fit of giggles.   
  
"Ok, gang, let's go." Catherine called out, and grabbing her knapsack from underneath her bed, she carefully clambered down the rope ladder that was used as a means to get to the ground. As soon as everyone got safely down, the small group started walking towards a nearby stream by which plentiful berries could be found.   
  
As soon as they entered the clearing, the boys tore into the raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry bushes. Filling their mouths up to capacity and gulping down the small, delicious spheres. While the girls, daintily sat upon the grass under one bush and picked their breakfast slowly, chattering now and then.   
  
"So, what should we do today Cath?" Sara asked her friend and eating companion.   
  
"Well, how about we go into town and see if anybody needs our..." she groped for the right word, "'services'?"   
  
"Hmm, sounds good to me." Mumbled Sara through a mouth full of raspberries.   
  
The guys quickly filled up their stomachs and quenched their thirst with the cool, fresh water from the stream. Aimlessly walking around and around with nothing to do, Nick got a bright idea.   
  
"Hey, guys," he whispered, and beckoned his two friends a little closer, "How about we play a little trick on the girls?" He flashed his teeth in a contagious smile.  
  
"Ooooooh, yeah!" Warrick exclaimed.   
  
Huddling together into a small circle, the black haired boy began to tell his friends about his mischievous plan. In the end, all of them got their drinking cups out of their knapsacks and filled them with water from the stream. Splitting up into three different directions, they started closing in on Sara and Catherine, who still suspected nothing. They wriggled through underbrush and razor sharp grass. Dropping low to the moist soil now and then, they finally had the girls surrounded. Nick, who was situated right behind Sara, flicked his arm up and the guys charged. With whooping yells and 'Ah ha's' the air was quickly filling with icy cold water. The guys' yells were combined with the shrieking of the outraged girls, and soon, all animals vacated a one mile radius around the group. The water supply was extinguished, yet the two girls stood side by side, completely soaked.   
  
"Griss?!?!?" Began Sara.   
  
"Warrick!!!?" Catherine wailed. Then, Sara turned to face Catherine and the girls both nodded their heads. And with another round of yells, Sara jumped onto Grissom's back and Catherine onto Warrick's.   
  
"You, you, you," Sara thumped Grissom's head with every 'you' to emphasize the meaning. "You, nasty little thing!" She finally yelled out and brought her small hand down onto Grissom's curls one last time. "I can't believe you did that. What were you thinking? I'm soaked!" Grissom's only reply was laughter. He tightly held onto Sara's frame and began to run around the clearing like a mad lunatic. "Griiiiiiiiiiis!" She squealed as she was jostled up and down on his back.   
  
Catherine, who was situated upon Warrick's back was incessantly beating him on the shoulder.   
  
"I cannot...believe you...actually....did....that....awful, awful......thing.....you, you awful......awful....person!" Warrick remained quiet, but seeing Grissom's actions he decided to proceed in the same way. Nick, who was out of harm's way, leant against a tree, doubled up with laughter. His booming voice carried over the girls' and soon Grissom and Warrick both noticed. Stopping and slowly easing the girls off of their backs they looked at each other in astonishment. Here they were, being pummeled and the trickster was titled innocent.   
  
"It was HIS idea!" They yelled and pointed accusing fingers at Nick's doubled up form. Catherine turned to Sara, quickly bent down and took off her new, fashionable flip flops. Throwing the right-foot one to Sara, she winked and charged at Nick.   
  
The poor guy had no warning. When he looked up, the only thing he saw was Sara and Catherine racing towards him before he was blinded with a series of attacks. As Grissom and Warrick looked on, the only thing they could actually see was a red and a brunette head bobbing here and there amidst the flying flip flops. Mercilessly swatting the mastermind-behind-the-prank, both girls took immense pleasure. Unofrotunately, Sara's hand began to tire after a couple of minutes.   
  
"Ok, I think he learned his lesson." She announced and gave Catherine her flip flop back. "But, if you ever do anything like that again," Catherine warned as she menacingly threw down both shoes and slid her freshly manicured toenails in. Everybody knew, though, that the next day a similar event would take place. No one commented. She finally turned around, hands crossed across her chest, glaring at Warrick and Griss who where rolling around on the grass, choking with laughter.   
  
"Herm, herm," Grissom stopped laughing and cautiously sneaked a peek at Catherine's stormy face. Warrick followed suit.   
  
"Now then," Sara took over, "If we could all act like mature children of our age, Cath and I have something of importance to say." She checked to make sure everyone was listening. Nick, a pained expression upon his face, standing on alert, was definitely listening. Warrick and Griss, who picked themselves up off the grass, stood side by side, listening also.   
  
"Go on," Warrick prodded. Catherine threw him a fiery look and the man's next word was quickly choked down.   
  
"Anyways," Sara continued, also looking cross-eyed at Warrick, "We want to go into town today and see if we can lend our 'services' there." She finished boldly, and it was a decided matter. Whatever the guys wanted to do was out of the question, the girls already picked. And eve seven and eight year olds knew not to mess with two pissed of ladies.   
  
"Sure!" Grissom exclaimed enthusiastically. "I hope they have a good mystery for us." Nick and Warrick shrugged an 'ok'.   
  
"Well, then, let's get going." Catherine commented and went to find her knapsack. Before following, Sara turned around and smirked, after sticking her tongue out at Nick, she followed Catherine. The boys trudged behind. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
The girls walked side by side, leading the little party of five. They gossiped about various stuff during the mildly long walk to town.   
  
"So, you say Ecklie got bit by a dog? Again?" Catherine almost howled with laughter as soon as Sara spilled the beans.   
  
"Yea, that's what I heard. Remember Jackie?" She waited for Catherine's response. From behind, Nick sighed.   
  
"Oh yea. That pretty little thing with all of the curls." He sighed once more, dreamily this time. Sara turned around, about to give him a tongue lashing. There was still a little electricity between them from the water sabotage.   
  
"Yea, and YOU would know because..." She tested him, but the kid would never, ever acknowledge the fact that Jackie had blown him a kiss. The one day that they met her in the town's library, immersed deep in a book that Grissom wanted to check out. Nick smartly kept his mouth shut. "Anyways," Sara continued, "You remember her Cath? She's the one that told me the little tid-bit about Ecklie." Catherine solemnly nodded.   
  
"And if you heard it from her, it HAS to be true. I mean, her sources are as clear as my diamond ring back home." Warrick snorted at the back of the line. Feebly trying to suppress his laughter. Catherine shot him a dirty look.   
  
"Hey," Grissom jumped in the middle of the two miniscule feuds, "how about we follow Sara's saying and act mature? Hmm? Remember, we have to visit my mother next month, and we might as well grow up now and save a scolding."   
  
The group of children had to turn up at Mrs. Grissom's house twice a year to tell her of their events. Or, more like, dictate to Grissom, so he could sign away. This way, they were permitted to go about by themselves. Living in a tree house without adults, leaving any other kids' dream.   
  
Sara smiled deeply with satisfaction. Grissom was the brains of their little crew of misfits. Usually, everyone respected his opinion. Usually.   
  
"Aww, thank you Griss." She stepped back a bit so she was walking by him. Sara warmly patted him on the shoulder. "Come on you slow pokes!" She cried over her shoulder, and tugging at Grissom's arm sped off into the distance.   
  
"Oh no she didn't!" Warrick exclaimed from the back, watching Sara and Grissom's retreating backs. He too started running with hopes of catching up. In passing Catherine, he gently tugged on her hand, bringing, or more like pulling, her along for the ride. Nick stood still, astonished. All of a sudden, his companions had deserted him.   
  
"You GUYS!" He let out a deep breath. "I'll teach you," He threatened as his feet began to pound the dewed grass. 


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, well, if you made it this far, props to you, and thank you for actually reading this story. Ok, well, enough dragging-our-feet, the next chapter will be in town...posibbly with greggo--or maybe I'll save that for another chapter...we'll see. Ok, well, to answer a few questions:

Grissom and Sara, still being in the lead, stopped at a particular hill. The last hill. The hill that separated civilization from mother nature. They stopped here, looking down upon the inhabitants of Vega Town. Finally, sitting down on the grass, waiting for the others to arrive.   
  
"Hmm," Sara spoke aloud, breaking silence, "this is nice." The view really was spectacular. People, as small as ants, walked down below them. From street to street, shop to shop, house to house. As if one of the gang had drawn a masterpiece, the town looked like something out of a child's imagination.   
  
"Yea," Grissom responded, "You're really n-i-..." Someone came tumbling through the bushes rather noisily.  
  
"Ok, Catherine we're here." Warrick came into view, huffing and puffing, AND with Catherine on his arms. "Finally!" he added, as he not so gently put Catherine on the grownd near Sara. He took a few deep breaths, quietly muttering to himself, "So, heavy. So, so, so," he broke off mid sentence, about to break down. Grissom put a reassuring hand on his back, giving it a good pat.  
  
"Suck it up soldier." He commented.   
  
"Whew!" Catherine started brushing grass and dust from her clothes. "Well, then!" She exclaimed, "That was rather...enjoyable." She smiled, "Thanks War." The exhausted boy nodded, too shy to reply.   
  
"Umm, excuse me?" Sara scooted closer to Catherine. "What _HAPPENED_?"   
  
"Well," Catherine began, shifting nervously, "You see, we began to run after you and well, I, I" she wrung her hands, "I took off my flip flops so that they wouldn't get ruined but then...my feet began to hurt. And," She noticed Grissom, surreptitiously observing. Catherine lowered her voice to a whisper and cupped her hands around Sara's ear, quickly finishing the story. "My feet hurt, so I asked War, and he said he'd carry me, and he did, and, and," A blush crept into the girl's cheek.   
  
"And, and, and what?" Sara half mocked her friend.   
  
"What do you mean?" Catherine hissed back, "That was all, what did you expect?" Sara's face fell as her mental image shattered, "Ewww! Sara, major cooties!" Sara shrugged.  
  
"Guess you're right." The group sat in silence until Nick caught up with them.   
  
Finally, a wheezing, coughing Texan wove his way out of the trees.   
  
"Geez! You _GUYS_!" He dropped to his hands and knees and weakly pulled himself to where everyone was sitting. "I got lost." Every head turned to him, and suppressed smiles peeked through on two faces. "What?" He defended, "I saw two pairs of footprints leading down to the old stables. I thought maybe we were taking a detour or something, and I followed them but then they just stopped. I panicked." He put a hand over his beating heart.   
  
A shrill voice rang out with laughter. It was Sara's. Grissom's slightly lower pitched voice rang out too. This time, three heads turned in their direction. Nick's countenance turned from a confused one to a surprised one.   
  
"_Saaara_! I can't believe you did that! You know how worried I was? I thought something happened to you all. I thought that I was getting out of shape." He took a deep breath.  
  
"You aren't the only one," Warrick snickered under his breath, but no one payed attention.  
  
"You made me run clear across the forest!"   
  
"I'm sorry Nicky," She tried to stop chuckling...in vain, "I just couldn't resist." Sara scooted next to him. "Even?" He nodded.   
  
"Yea, yea."

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

The group, standing on the brink of the hill, all locked hands. Then, with a whopping yell they raced down the hill. Arriving at the outskirts of the town, dusty and gasping for breath, everyone began to pat their clothes. A small cloud formed around the three guys as the dust from their clothes was beat into the atmosphere. The girls stood a little ways off, clothes in perfect condition, looking on at their chocking male friends.   
  
"Ready?" Sara asked nonchalantly.   
  
"Yea," Grissom coughed out.   
  
"Good," Catherine said, "let's go then." And thus, they entered the town.   
  
They walked in pairs down the tiny side walk, well everyone except Nicky that is. Talking about the scenery that they have not seen for a couple of weeks and the people they were hoping to meet  
  
"Hey," Nick halted, "Let's go get an ice-cream sunday!" He pointed across the road to an ice-cream shop.  
  
"Ok," Sara chimed with a greedy smile upon her face.  
  
"Fine with me, " Was Grissom's response, while Warrick just nodded his head. The excited responders began to cross the road when all of a sudden Warrick looked back.   
  
"You coming Cath?"  
  
"No, I'm going to stay here all day." Warrick shrugged.  
  
"Ok." Catherine gaped at Warrick's back and rushing past him knocked him on the head.   
  
"Heey!" He complained.  
  
"What? I didn't do anything, I was right here by Sara," she quickly winked at her girl friend, "talking about how stupid little boys are." She gloated above Sara's snickers.   
  
"Nuh huh! Liar, liar pants on fire." Warrick protested, not wanting to lose to a girl.   
  
"I have shorts on, smart one!" She retorted, and won. "Come on," they had arrived at the shop and Catherine held open the door.   
  
The gang was all sitted behind a round table. Going clockwise it was Sara, Grissom, Nick, Warrick, and Catherine. A waitress came up, notebook and pen on the ready to take their orders.  
  
"I would like a..." Sara began but was instantly interrupted by Warrick's and Nick's voices.   
  
"Rocky Road!"  
  
"Triple Chocolate!" They yelled, over and over again. Sara and Grissom watched on, embarrassed by their friend's actions. Catherine just shook her head disapprovingly.   
  
"Down boys!" She commanded, and after receiving shocked silence recited to the waitress, "Now then, Mr. Smartypants would like a banana split." she gestured towards Grissom, "The lovely brunet sitting by his side will have a banana split also, with a cherry." She looked at Sara and to Grissom's complaints of not receiving a cherry she winked. "Now these two baboons; the young weakling on the left," she motioned towards Nick, "will take a Rocky Road, and weakling number two on the right side will have a triple chocolate." The waitress nodded, trying to suppress a smile as she wrote down the orders.   
  
"Oh yeah," Sara added, "Catherine will have one scoop of strawberry ice-cream, and half a scoop of chocolate an half a scoop of vanilla." The waitress wrote down the bizarre order and without a word left.   
  
"Thank Sara, I totally forgot. With these two, she gestured at Warrick and Nick who immediately began whistling and looking around the ice-cream parlor. "It's hard to remember stuff like that." Sara smiled, it was no big deal. Catherine, the bossiest yet nicest of the group began to chew out the boys.   
  
"Why can't you behave more like mature men? Hmm?" The whistling stopped abruptly and Warrick hastily began to protect his and Nick's prides.  
  
"Well...." he began uncertainly, but Nick jumped in to rescue the day.  
  
"Because whenever we get a chance to come into town, we deserve to behave like 7 year olds. It's when we're all alone in the woods, that we have to act all mature." He crossed his arms across his chest to emphasize the correctness of his statement. Warrick slapped a hand onto his own face, rubbing it irritatingly. Nick had just totally trampled the day, and the pride was LONG gone.   
  
"Hey, um, Nicky?" Grissom leaned over the table, "It's the other way around." He whispered and sat back down into his seat. Sara began giggling madly while Catherine's face produced the biggest smile ever.  
  
"Ah, shut it!" The angry boy growled and slumped down into his chair. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The group chatted amongst themselves as they waited for the orders to arrive. Sara and Catherine gossiping while the guys talked of frogs, snails and bugs.

"Hey Nicky," Sara voiced and waited till she had Nick's full attention. "Would you rather," she paused, winking at Catherine, "solve a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle of a _doll_, or a 50 piece of an ant?" Nick grimaced at the thought of bending over a hundred pieces of carton which ultimately spelled "Doll." But, then again, to even consider working on a mere, childish, 50 piece puzzle was so ultimately embarrassing that he had no choice but to choose the doll. If he chose the masculine, manly ant, he'll never live down the fact that he picked a 50 piece over a 100 piece puzzle.

"Umm," he hesitated, squirming under the gazes of both girls. "I'd rather...do the 100 piece puzzle." Immediately snickers burst through the air, and the gang received a few reproachful looks from other customers. Indignantly, Nick puffed out his cheeks, "Well, what would _you _rather choose Sara," he countered, "Would you rather kiss Warrick or..." he paused, dramatically stretching out the moment, "Grissom." Nick maliciously whispered the boy's name. Sara's face turned a bright shade of pink, and she covered her widely gaping mouth with the palm of her hand.

Everybody in their right mind would pick Warrick. Those beautiful chocolate brown eyes that seemed to yell out at you the most romantic things, 'You're pretty,', 'I like your bow.', 'Can I push your swing?' And the wild hair that caught every girl's attention, sending their eyes sparkling with the might of a hundred diamonds. No one, no one at all, would have ever picked Grissom. Well, no one at all but Sara The shy, sometimes quiet kid who solved genius puzzles and could spell and pronounce correctly words like 'Bioluminescence.' Quietly, but confidently Sara voiced her opinion. Nick frowned, "What was that?" Catherine narrowed her eyes at Nick, although she herself could not distinguish Sara's choice in her soft murmur.

"Sara, what did you say?" Warrick piped up, interested in the answer. Everybody seemed to start whispering to her:

"What was that?"

"Hmm? I didn't hear."

"Sara? You picked Warrick right?"

"Sara? Well, you have to answer. It's not fair! I answered. Now you answer. **Answer**!" The room started spinning around her and slowly but surely closing in. The customers seemed to be sneering at her with evil grins. Her friends' faces were twirling around her head, first Cath, then Nick and Warrick, and then finally Grissoms's. Why was she feeling all sweaty and hot? What was happening to her? Catherine put a soft hand on Sara's shoulder causing her to startle.

"Grissom, ok!? **_Grissom_**!" She yelled out at the top of her lungs. She jumped up, emphasizing her words, and stared wildly at her friends. Sara finally realized what she had done and the room stopped closing in, as if it was disappointed with the events. Slowly her dizziness went away as her friends' heads came down from the air and reattached themselves to the designated bodies. But, the snares didn't leave. The customers looked at her, astonished at what she had just done.

"I," she whimpered, "You, you," she pointed an accusing finger in Nick's direction. "You're just a big bully!" She burst out and taking the complimentary glass of water that was set on the table she swished it out in Nick's direction. "Just a big...bully," she repeated quietly at Nick's dripping form. Her face screwed up in a pitying countenance and she rushed out of the store, darting past the big window. Catherine stood up, hands on her hips.

"Look what you did Nick!" she exclaimed, "You made a girl cry. You made _Sara_ cry."


	7. 7 chocolate all around

I apologize for the delay, and I'll try to update a little more frequently in the future.

Catherine followed Sara out the door and found her at the end of the building, sitting on a wooden bench, snuffling.

"Aw, Sara, it's ok. Nick was just being stupid, like always. But, I'm sure he didn't mean it." Sara's tear stained face peeked at Catherine from behind her hands.

"Do you think so?" She asked in-between sobs.

"Of course. Sure, sometimes he seems like a big bully, but you know what?" She lowered her voice down to a dramatic whisper, "Know what he told me? He's just a big softie." After she made sure that Sara was laughing once more, Catherine continued. "Yup! He sure did. Even told how he once," she looked around to see if anybody else was spying on them, "covered you with a blanket when you fell asleep." Sara's grin was wide and toothy as she beamed up at Catherine. Her tear stained face was slowly returning back to its original color and the sniffling subsided.

"Hey, Cath?"

"Yea?"

"Thanks." Sara jumped up from the bench and the girls were instantly enveloping each other in big bear hugs.

"Hey Sara?

"Yea?"

"How about that ice-cream?" Sara's eyes lit up as she remembered the frozen treat that must've been waiting for her at the ice-cream shop. "Come on," Catherine offered her crooked arm, and the girls, linked by the elbow, walked back to the shop.

Sara was a bit hesitant, standing on front of the door, but Catherine gave her a gentle push and she once again stepped into the dimly lit shop. Her fears were forgotten for a moment as she saw the glistening treat on the table. No one had tasted a drop. Well, Warrick had stuck his finger in the warm chocolate that oozed down his ice-cream, but besides that, no one had dared try a drop.

"Hey there, Sar," Warrick spoke up. "we waited for you." He grinned sheepishly and put a metal spoon into Sara's ice-cream.

"Thanks Warrick." She replied, plopping down by Grissom and flashing him the smallest of smiles. Grissom's cheeks flared a deep pink but before anyone noticed he excused himself and rushed off to the bathroom.

"Aww, Sara, you made Grissom blush." Catherine fiercely whispered into her ear.

"Yea," the little girl replied with a giggle, "I guess I did."

A half a bowl of ice-cream later, Sara began to get a little worried. Grissom had still not come back.

"Cath," the young girl chirped, "did Grissom say where he was going?" Catherine expectantly turned to the spot in front of which stood a melting heap of ice-cream and shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, well, I'll be right back." Sara slowly got up from her table and pushed in her chair. After walking a few steps into the general direction of the bathrooms, Sara wheeled around, scooped a little mound of ice-cream with her finger, and giggled innocently as the finger vanished inside her mouth.

"Be righ' back." She mumbled through the icy dessert and skipped away. Warrick just shook his head and laughed at the retreating Sara. He immediately concentrated on his ice-cream however, when Catherine gave him a smart poke in the ribs. Watching all of this, Nick let out a repressed chuckle.

"Hey man, what are you laughing at?"

"Uhhh you." Nick dead panned. Warrick made a grimacing face towards Nick's direction before inconspicuously flicking a chocolate chip at Nick's head.

"Heeeeey!" Nick wailed and immediately enveloped his spoon in chocolate. He held the tail of the spoon in between 2 fingers, and precariously tilted the head backwards before releasing it with a swish. Chocolate landed on Warrick's face and shirt with a resounding splat. Warrick was in shock. He just sat there, staring at his chocolate covered hands in disbelief. It was Catherine's turn to wail.

"Nick! You got chocolate all over my shirt. It's brand new Nick. I JUST got it." Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes.

"Now look what you've done." Warrick scolded and started rubbing chocolate off of Catherine's shirt.

"Hey, you started it." Nick defended. Catherine slapped Warrick's hand away and looked at her shirt with new disbelief.

"What was that for?" Warrick demanded, massaging his stinging hand. Narrowing her eyes dangerously, Catherine abruptly stood up, pointed at her shirt and loudly shrilled.

"You've made it worse!" She continued pointing at the now dark, brown smears.

"I was only trying to help," he pleaded.

"Just look at it," Catherine sniffled, "I just...sniffle just got it yesterday too." She half mumbled to herself before throwing another pair of dirty looks at the boys and stomping off in search of Sara.

TBC...feedback is greatly appreciated


	8. Spiky Hair Is Electrifying

Catherine was striding towards the bathroom, totally not looking under her feet as her mother had told her to do so many times. She was about to enter through the large wooden bathroomdoor, when the little girl slipped on some dripped ice-cream. She landed on the floor with a slight oomph. Embarrassed and sporting flaming cheeks, Catherine picked herself off the ground and turned around to make sure that one had seen her. Her eyes immediately fell on three wide-eyed kids who were staring directly at her. One of them couldn'tt wipe the smirk from his face.

"Hey there Sara," she chuckle wryly, "Watcha doing here?" She inched closer to the table at which Grissom, Sara and a blonde haired kid were sitting. A puzzle book was open between them and Grissom clutched at the pencil.

"Well," Sara began apologetically, "I went to look for Grissom and found him here," she gingerly stood up, "working on this crossword puzzle with Greg over there," she pointed at the spiky haired kid as Catherine wiggled her fingers at him in a half-hearted wave. "And then he actually asked me what the nine-letter word for dedicated was and I couldn't help but..." She gave her friend a small smile. Grissom who had flushed a crimson color defiantly stood up.

"I did _NOT_ ask for you help. You read the question over my shoulder and I could have easily have gotten such an easy word as 'committed myself, thank you very much."

"Well, maybe if you hadnt been pondering over the stupid question for two whole minutes I wouldn't have had to help you out!" Sara retorted. While Sara and Grissom were busy pointing their fingers in each others faces, the boy who had been pleasantly observing the three comrades piped up.

"Hello, my name is Greg Sanders," he stood up and walked over to Catherine offering his hand.

"Cath!" Sara wheeled around, whipping her hair into Grissoms face, "Dont!" Catherine, who was gazing into Gregs eyes, paid no heed and took the boy's hand. Immediately, her palm started jerking as a wave of electricity shot up her arm. Greg snatched his hand away, clutching at his sides.

"You low-life, maggot-eating, ribbon-pulling, shoe-scuffing scoundrel!" Catherine yelled, ordering the attention of every single customer in the place, including Nick and Warrick. Greg had doubled over and tears were sliding down his cheeks.

"Sorry Cath, butI tried to warn you." Sara piped up, hoping to smooth down some ruffled feathers. Catherine turned her attention from the spiky-haired kid to Sara.

"But, Sar, that _hurt."_ The blonde whined.

"Yeah, I know," she sheepishly replied, "but, well, its just aharmless prank." She shrugged. Grissom thendecided to voice his opinions:

"And a very old one at that. You of all people should have expected something of the sort from a kid who actually dyes his hair at the age of seven." Catherine narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah yeah. And Im guessing that the great Gil Grissom didnt fall for this joke."

"_Caaaath_," Grissom whimpered, "I told you not to call me that. My name is Grissom. Grrrr-isssm-ooom."

"Of course. _Gil_." She smiled icily andfor the first time, Sara took in Catherine's appearance. The older girl's hair was a little mussed, her cheeks had reddish spots on them, and her shirt-the one that she had purchased yesterday- was very dirty.

"Cath, what happened?" Catherines attention was diverted from Grissom and she stared at Sara with wide eyes.

"What do you..." she slowly lowered her head to take another look at her dirty outfit. "Those two." She pointed an accusingfinger at Nick and Warrick who had come running, yelling, "What'd we miss? What'd we miss?" When theyfirst heard the commotion.

"Niiiick?" Sara questioned.

"What?" The angry boy demanded. "Why do people ALWAYS think that its my fault? Is it the good looks? The smile?What? It wasnt my fault." He looked around at his friends' faces, beforeointing his finger at Warrick. "He started it." Nick simply stated and crossed his hands across his chest.

"Come on Sara," Catherine grabbed at the other girl's hand, "we're done here." But before she left, Catherine picked up the crossword puzzle book and placed a gooey, lip-gloss smear of her lipsupon the page.

"Aww, Catherine!" Grissom pushed the book back with the tip of his fingers, "Cooties! How _could_ you?"

"We were almost done, too!" Greg chipped in.

"Serves you right." She glared at Greg, Grissom, and then at Nick and Warrick. "Come on," she once more grabbed Sara's hand and the girls walked out of the store.


End file.
